Friday, Mar 13, 2026

Does Florida have the top state university system in the country?

Clinton Engelberger | Suncoast Searchlight, Suncoast Searchlight

yes

The U.S. News and World Report has ranked Florida first in higher education for nine consecutive years, including most recently in 2025.

Florida’s consistent placement as the top state for higher education supports Gov. Ron DeSantis’ March 5 claim.

Florida also has the cheapest in-state tuition and the best four-year graduation rate in the country, according to the U.S. News and World Report.

In the same report, Florida ranked first in economy but 22nd in Pre-K-12 education. It placed as the sixth best state overall in the United States.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

U.S. News and World Report 2025 Florida Ranking
State University System of Florida Press Release

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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network.

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Does Florida have the top state university system in the country?

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